If you run a business in Portugal and want help paying for a new hire, there is a deadline this week. IEFP (Instituto do Emprego e Formação Profissional, the public employment service) says applications for Emprego +Talento, its grant for employers who hire young unemployed graduates, will close at 18:00 on Wednesday 21 October 2026. They were due to stay open until 15 December, but IEFP says the budget has been reached. The notice is on the official iefponline Emprego +Talento page (last updated 15 October 2026) and on IEFP’s hiring-support page.
This is a hiring grant for employers. It is not the paid-internship scheme with a similar name, Estágios +Talento, which IEFP still lists as open until 7 December or until its budget runs out (see our internships article).
What the grant pays
- Base amount: €9,668.34 per person hired (18 times the 2026 IAS social support index of €537.13).
- +35% for each extra condition (up to four): hiring a young person with a disability, someone registered as unemployed for more than 12 months, a job in an interior (inland) area, or a job in a profession where one gender is under-represented. The maximum is €23,204.02.
- Payment in three parts: 40% after the contract starts, 40% in month 13 and 20% after 24 months.
Who can be hired and the main conditions
- The worker must be registered as unemployed at IEFP, aged 35 or under, with a higher-education qualification: licenciatura, mestrado or doutoramento (levels 6, 7 or 8 of the national qualifications framework).
- The contract must be permanent (sem termo) and full-time, with a base salary of at least €1,499.15 a month.
- You must provide job training, have made no collective, job-extinction or unsuitability dismissals in the previous three months, and keep the extra job for at least 24 months.
- Your tax and Segurança Social payments must be up to date. You cannot combine the grant with a Social Security contribution (TSU) exemption or another hiring grant for the same job.
- You cannot use it to hire someone who worked for you in the last 12 months, a partner in the company, or your spouse or partner.
The rules are set by Portaria n.º 221/2024/1 of 23 September. According to the official opening notice (PDF), this round had a budget of €7.5 million. Applications are assessed in order of arrival in each region, and only those scoring at least 50 points can be approved while money remains.
What to do before Wednesday
- Log in to iefponline with your company’s Segurança Social Direta credentials. If the company or its representative is not set up there yet, do that first.
- Register the job offer (permanent, full-time, at least €1,499.15) and say that you want to apply for Emprego +Talento. If the offer is already registered, tell your employment centre you want to use the measure.
- Submit the form under “Apoios e Incentivos” → “Emprego” → “Submeter candidatura” before 18:00 on 21 October. You can sign the contract before applying, but only after the offer is registered.
Questions go to IEFP’s e-Balcão or the helpline on 215 803 555 (working days, 9:00 to 19:00). It is closed at weekends.
What it means for immigrants
Business owners: this is the last chance in this round to get the grant for a graduate hire. If the person you want to hire has no degree, look at Medida +Emprego. IEFP lists it as open until 18:00 on 15 December 2026 or until its budget runs out. The base grant is €6,445.56, and IEFP’s list of people who can be hired includes non-EU citizens whose residence permit lets them work and register at IEFP.
Young graduates registered at IEFP: an employer who hires you on a permanent contract may be able to claim this grant, so mention it in interviews this week. If your degree is from outside Portugal, ask your employment centre how your qualification level is recorded. Our degree recognition guide explains how to get a foreign degree recognised.
Key dates
- 15 October 2026: IEFP page updated with the early closing date.
- 21 October 2026, 18:00: Emprego +Talento applications close.
- 15 December 2026, 18:00: +Emprego planned closing date (or earlier if its budget runs out).
Sources
- iefponline – Medida Emprego +Talento (official; updated 15 October 2026)
- IEFP – Apoios à contratação: Medida +Emprego and Emprego +Talento (official)
- IEFP – Emprego +Talento opening notice, 14 July 2026 (PDF, official)
This article is general information, not legal or financial advice. Check eligibility with IEFP or an accountant before you sign a contract. Last updated: 17 October 2026.
